Police find sick animals at shelter; rescue official defends care

Thursday

Nov 15, 2012 at 7:49 AM

Last month, officials found dogs at the front of the center with no water and some had feces in their cages.

PATRICIO G. BALONASTAFF WRITER

DELAND — Police released reports and video Thursday that detail poor living conditions of more than 100 animals at the rescue center where they were seized last week. DeLand police officials said they served a search warrant at the Animal Rescue Konsortium at 441 S. Woodland Blvd. on Nov 8 because they received multiple complaints about the living conditions of the animals at the center where 135 cats and dogs were taken, according to the reports. But the president of the rescue center, Maggi Hall, said Thursday she stands by her statement that the animals were being cared for properly and not neglected or abused. “To date our vet bill is more than $53,000, so don't tell me we don't care for our animals,” Hall said. “We have proof of that.” The vet bills were expenses incurred for the care of animals between Jan. 1 and Oct. 30 of this year, Hall said. Police said the rescue shelter was inspected in July and operators were told to take corrective measures to improve living conditions for the animals. Police Deputy Chief Randel Henderson said Thursday the city attorney is considering releasing the names of the people who complained about ARK. After the first complaint, DeLand Animal Control Officer Michelle Realander visited ARK on July 12. She found an upstairs room with more than 60 cats and minimal litter pans, water and food bowls. She also found feces outside of the pans all over the floor, the report states. “There were sick cats and too many in that confined area,” the animal control officer wrote in her report. Six cats and three dogs were housed in a basement with no ventilation and some dogs were too large for the crates in which they were kept. After the inspection, Realander told a caretaker what needed to be done and sent a letter to ARK. On July 24, Realander re-inspected ARK and found that the upstairs room had been cleaned, more litter pans added, the number of cats reduced and larger water and food bowls were in place. “The only remaining issue would be the dogs housed outside,” Realander reported. At the time, Hall and Julie Beard, the new executive director of ARK, said “they were sorry and unaware of how bad the conditions had gotten at this location,” Realander reported. Hall said that at the time a volunteer was not properly caring for the animals, so she fired the volunteer. She has fired three volunteers in the past for not appropriately caring for the animals, Hall said. But police said that on Oct. 12, 16 and 19 three more complaints were filed about ARK. On Oct. 24, Realander returned to ARK at 1:20 p.m. and video recorded what she found, the report states. Dogs at the front of the center had no water and some had feces in their cages. Most of the cages were stacked two high, the report said. On inspecting the building, Realander found cats in isolation areas with dirty cages. In the backyard, about 10 dogs were found with feces in their cages and had little or no water, her report states. “One of the dogs had a child's pool that was full of algae,” Realander wrote in her report. A fifth complaint was filed Nov. 2, and on Nov. 8 police obtained a search warrant and the center was searched, which resulted in the seizure of the 135 animals. Hall said it is likely officials found sick animals because most of the animals that come to ARK have health issues. Cats are by far the largest group abandoned at the front of the center, with up to 20 cats left over a three-week period, Hall said. Animals taken by the center include those that come from people who have lost their houses. The city of DeLand's Second Chance Kennel also placed dogs at ARK for adoption, Hall said. Also, the Lake County Animal Center emails ARK about animals scheduled to be euthanized so ARK can rescue them, Hall said. “Some we have pulled from kill shelters after they send us photos of the animals that are set to be killed,” Hall said. ARK also has a hospice program for dying animals. “Right now we have about 10 dogs in foster and hospice care,” Hall said. “We are spending money giving an animal a wonderful end to its life.” Some animals have pancreatic issues and are left with little or no water for some time because of special diets, Hall said. The shelter is open and accepting pets, but animals are not being kept there.

On Saturday, ARK will hold an adoption event for about 100 dogs in foster care, and people who have animals they can't care for may take them to the center, Hall said. “We are not in hiding,” Hall said. “We don't have anything for which to be ashamed of.”